Whether it's a Katrina-like hurricane, major earthquake or devastating terrorist attack, the decline in America’s industrial manufacturing base and the nation’s reliance on foreign suppliers for goods formerly made in the U.S.A. threatens our ability to prevent, repair and recover from a major catastrophe, a new report reveals.

The report, released today by the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) and authored by Tom Ridge, the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Robert B. Stephan, a former assistant secretary for Homeland Security for Infrastructure Protection, finds:

There is a direct nexus between a strong domestic manufacturing sector and America’s ability to prevent, mitigate, recover from and rebuild quickly in the wake of catastrophic events. Revitalizing America’s domestic manufacturing capacity must become a clear and urgent national priority at all levels of government and among industry leaders.  

"Preparing for 21st Century Risks: Revitalizing American Manufacturing to Protect, Respond and Recover" is the first comprehensive analysis of America’s growing reliance on global suppliers—many of whom may not have the best interests of the United States at heart in a time of crisis, or those who cannot meet demand quickly in times of emergency, given the complexity of the global supply chain.

The report also points out the nation’s aging and deteriorating infrastructure is not only vulnerable to natural disasters but to terrorist attacks. It is, says the report, “the soft underbelly that provides an inviting target for attacks that can have a widespread, devastating impact.”

Hardening our critical infrastructure is key to preventing and mitigating disastrous events such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters concerning power plants, pipelines and transportation systems.

AAM Executive Director Scott Paul says the report should serve as:

a wake-up call for action. We must take concrete steps now to insource our preparedness capabilities. This report underscores just how critical it is to the safety of the American people to rebuild our industrial base now. We may not be able to predict when catastrophic events will occur, but we can do much to ensure that America is equipped to prepare for, respond to and minimize the impact when disaster strikes.

Ridge and Stephan recommend the United States.:

• Develop a plan to make the restoration of a strong American manufacturing sector a key component of both national and economic security strategies.
• Reinvest in America’s infrastructure, using U.S.-made materials.
• Incentivize the revitalization of American manufacturing, including the use of domestic-content preferences that maximize the power of federal procurement funds.
• Enforce trade laws to ensure a level playing field for U.S. manufacturers and their workers facing unfair competition.
• Invest in the American workforce to ensure we have the trained workers needed to rebuild our infrastructure and work in a larger, more modern manufacturing sector.